California DROP Status Explained: Deleted, Exempted, Not Found, Pending

You filed in DROP, months have passed, and you want to know if it worked. DROP now reports a status for each data broker that processes your request. This guide explains what each status means, using CalPrivacy's own definitions, and what to do when a profile is still up on a people-search site. If you have not filed yet, start with How to Use California DROP.

How to Check Your Status

1. Find the 8-digit DROP ID from your confirmation page. If you lost it, CalPrivacy lets you request it by email.
2. Go to the status page linked from privacy.ca.gov/drop and enter your DROP ID.
3. Read the results broker by broker. CalPrivacy notes that results vary by data broker, so expect a mix.

Timing matters. Brokers have had to access DROP at least once every 45 days since August 1, 2026, and must process a request within 45 days of receiving it, under Civil Code section 1798.99.86. CalPrivacy says status updates can take up to 90 days to appear. A wall of "Pending" a few weeks after filing is normal.

What Each Status Means

These definitions are paraphrased from CalPrivacy's How DROP works page.

Deleted

The broker matched your DROP information to its records and deleted the non-exempt personal information it held about you. This is the result you want. Note the word "non-exempt." A broker can report Deleted and still keep data that falls under an exemption.

Exempted

The broker has information about you but says the law lets it keep all of it, under one or more statutory exemptions. DROP does not tell you which exemption the broker relied on. Under section 1798.99.86(c)(3), data kept under an exemption can only be used for that exempt purpose and cannot be used for marketing. We break down the exemptions in What Data Brokers Can Keep After a DROP Request.

Opted out (of sale)

The broker could not make an exact match. CalPrivacy's deletions explainer gives the example of several people matching your information. The broker may still hold the data, but it can no longer sell or share it. That is a real protection, but the record has not been deleted.

Record not found

The broker has no information about you, or could not locate you from what you provided. Those are two very different outcomes, and DROP cannot tell you which one applies. If a broker reports Record not found but you can see your profile on its site, the identifiers you gave probably did not match how the broker stores you.

Pending

The broker has not processed your request yet. Check back after the next 45-day cycle. A request that is still Pending is not a removal.

How to Tell Whether DROP Actually Worked

The status page shows what each broker reported. It does not show what is still visible on the public web. To check that, do a spot check yourself:

1. Pick the sites that matter most. The people-search sites that show your address, phone and relatives are the ones strangers and scammers use.
2. Search your name plus city and state on each one. Try former names and old cities too.
3. Screenshot what you find, with the date. This is your evidence if you need to follow up.
4. Compare against your DROP status. A site whose broker shows Deleted but still displays your profile is worth a follow-up. So is a site that shows Record not found.
5. Check whether the site is registered at all. DROP only reaches brokers on California's data broker registry. If a site is not on it, DROP never sent it your request.

What to Do About Listings That Remain

If the status is Record not found

Add more identifiers to your DROP profile: old email addresses, past phone numbers, maiden or former names. The DROP help page says extra details can improve matching, and that profile updates are allowed once every 45 days. The broker will compare against the new details on a later cycle.

If the status is Deleted but the profile is still up

Give it time first, since sites can lag behind their databases. If it is still there after another cycle, send the broker a written deletion request under the CCPA (how to write one) and keep its reply. Then consider a complaint to CalPrivacy. The contact form includes a "Data broker did not delete my data" option.

If the status is Exempted or Opted out

The broker is claiming a legal basis to keep the data, or could not single you out. A direct request asking which exemption applies, and asking it to delete anything not covered, is a reasonable next step. Do not expect every exempt record to disappear.

If the site is not a registered broker

Use the site's own opt-out page. We have step-by-step guides for the big ones, including Spokeo, Whitepages and TruePeopleSearch.

If your profile comes back later

Under section 1798.99.86(d), a broker that processed your request must delete newly collected data about you at least every 45 days and must not sell or share it. If a profile reappears at a registered broker, that is worth documenting and reporting.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does every broker still say Pending?

Brokers only started processing on August 1, 2026, they work on 45-day cycles, and CalPrivacy says updates can take up to 90 days to show in DROP. If a broker is still Pending well past that window, note the date and check again on the next cycle.

Does Deleted mean my data is gone everywhere?

No. It means that one broker reported deleting the non-exempt data it held. Other brokers, unregistered sites, and copies the broker already sold before your request are separate problems.

Can I see which exemption a broker used?

Not in DROP. The status says Exempted without naming the exemption. Ask the broker directly in writing.

Should I file a new DROP request if results look bad?

No need. Your request stays active. Update your profile with more identifiers instead, so brokers have more to match against on the next cycle. For background on how DROP has performed so far, see DROP after the August 1 deadline.